| Date | March 21–23, 1980 (cancelled) |
|---|---|
| Convention | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Resigning leader | Pierre Trudeau |
| Won by | convention cancelled |
A Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention was supposed to have been held in early 1980 as a result of Pierre Trudeau's November 21, 1979 announcement that he would resign as Liberal leader as soon as his successor was chosen. The announcement came several months after Trudeau's government was defeated by the Progressive Conservatives and Joe Clark. The party executive called a convention to be held in Winnipeg in late March 1980 as per Trudeau's requested timeline.[1]
Former Minister of Supply and Services and Matapédia—Matane MP Pierre de Bané, High River, Alberta shop owner Madeline Hombert, and London, Ontario housewife Denise Seguin were the only declared candidates.[2]
Other rumoured candidates included:[2][3]
Former Minister of Finance John Turner, who had run in the 1968 leadership election that elected Trudeau, was seen as a likely candidate until his surprise December 10, 1979 announcement that he would not be a candidate.[3]
The leadership election was cancelled, however, after Clark's minority government was defeated in the House of Commons on December 13, 1979, by a non-confidence vote, triggering a federal election. The party executive and caucus cancelled the leadership election after persuading Trudeau to rescind his resignation and lead the party into the February 18, 1980 federal election, which saw the Liberals return to office with a majority government.[4]